


Tales of Earth-X: Merlyn and Queen

by Writer207



Series: Tales of Earth-X [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Evil, Character Death, Earth-X (CW DC TV Universe), F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Sibling Rivalry, arrowverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-02-29 23:58:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18788902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer207/pseuds/Writer207
Summary: Earth-X, the Earth so horrible it has no number. Citizens, resembling the inhabitants of Earth-1 and Earth-38, live under the strict regime of the New Reich, inspiring patriots and rebels alike. Sometimes they resemble their other-Earthly counterparts, but more often than not they are very different and are living completely different lives.Merlyn and Queen: Two families, joint together, who are at the very top of the elite. Their sons and daughter grow into adults and shape the path Earth-X takes in a significant way.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I do not, nor will I ever support nazism, but the nature of the story does require me to dive deep into the heads of those characters who are nazis. I do not agree with their ideals nor their beliefs; I am merely trying to write an entertaining story with a strong sense of good vs. evil.

We will now move on from the chosen slice-of-life stories these people have told. Their lives made a definitive impact, but they were not the only ones who impacted the course of history or even the course this country took. Before the Freedom Fighters rose up, there still were two family lines, accidentally joined together and intertwined for a long time. Their children were just as influential, if not more influential, than the people preceding them.

The families we will follow in the next part are the Merlyn and Queen families.

This second part will not be consisted of random tales of glory and pain, or follow a new person every chapter. This part, as well as the next, will delve deeper into one of two factions who are at each other's throats after Führer Queen dies. It will mention, briefly, the most important moments of these families' lives. I believe it to be insightful to know what each individual had been doing before the invasion of Earth-1, and as to better understand how they operated. Not to show them in a more humane light, but to show how their upbringing turned perfectly healthy children into monsters by their education and environment.

I hope you will find yourself thinking critically about the people in these parts, and hope this will not make you excuse their behavior later in life, for this is not the purpose of this book.

Please do not use my work to justify their actions.

-Elias Jensen


	2. Two empires

The Merlyn and Queen families were two of the most influential families in Star City and the New Reich. These families thrived in their accumulated wealth, to which they added a large sum each passing year. It is rumored they had so much money it would last until their grandchildren had grandchildren themselves. People also believe one of the Führers had married a woman bearing the Queen name, but she supposedly took her husband's name and no records indicate a Queen woman ever married a Führer.

Despite their similarities, the families had never interfered in each other's business. History shows there was once a rivalry between the two families, which is why they never worked together. None of that survived to the present time, as the families became great friends as well as business partners.

A special occasion was the birth of two baby boys, one of each family, which took place around the same time. The boys became best friends and were proud of their not-so-humble beginnings. Their names were Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen. Their parents could not be happier and their births were ostentatiously celebrated.

Tragedy befell the families when the boys were three years old. Malcolm Merlyn lost his wife to cancer and buried himself in his work, barely having any time left for his son. Across the street, Moira discovered her husband had secretly been showing sympathy to rebel factions. Robert made plans to make decisions in the Führer's name – presumably with the latter's consent – to placate the people and implement systems that would benefit the rebels in the long run, nudging the country towards a more democratic system. But Moira loved the current system and, being a model citizen, she performed her duty and reported her husband's actions. A week later, Robert mysteriously disappeared while traveling abroad for their business. He would've taken Oliver with him, but Moira decided against it; she knew that when Robert boarded the plane, he would never return.

His betrayal and Malcolm's wife's death broke them and they sought comfort with one another. Eleven months later, a new baby was born: Thea Merlyn-Queen. It was the biggest news of the year – an unexpected baby bearing a double surname. It confirmed the rumors that Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn were having an affair, the result of which was now visible. The journalists wondered which surname the girl would have had if they hadn't chosen to give her both surnames. Malcolm and Moira had no answer; a single surname was never an option.

This started a new chapter in the lives of both families. Tommy and Oliver were thrilled to have a little sister. This girl, the journalists speculated, would be the most wanted bachelorette of the city, possibly even the country. She was going to be an heir to both of the families' wealth who may end up with the most inheritance money when her parents passed away. The journalists saw a bright future for the baby, still barely a week old at the time.

Malcolm and Moira did not marry – out of respect for his deceased wife, they decided not to tie the knot. Still, the families moved into the same mansion in one of the nicer neighborhood of Star City. Tommy fell under Moira's care and Malcolm acted as Oliver's surrogate father. This can easily be described as one of the happiest periods of their lives.

This happiness was not meant to last. Their education solidified the worldview of their parents and they maintained it far into adulthood. At the end of the day, the inseparable siblings died far away from one another, some living longer than the others, yet none of them ever considered what they believe in life was anything but good and essential for survival. These are the crucial moments of their history.


	3. Bow and arrow

Children are usually nervous on the first day of school. They are confronted with a new environment, new people to meet and the stress that comes from those two factors alone. This could not be said about the Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn. From a young age, the two boys had been taught appropriately – they did not need to be nervous or stressed. Because of their last name, everyone would know them and so, the others should be nervous and stressed when they were around.

Oliver and Tommy would indeed be the two most well-known students in their school. This Academy was located in the middle of Star City and had a great reputation for its excellence. This was also the school Moira and Malcolm graduated from. It covered all grades and all subjects, from math and German to war strategies and archery. The latter classes, which were part of the military training program, were only covered from the seventh grade onwards. The children of wealthy and upper-class families would be some of the best soldiers and commanders, should they later choose a military career, specifically because they had been trained with their weapon from the beginning of their school years. But unlike the other kids, the two boys were going to be training with their weapons from the first grade onward. They would spend the first six years solidifying the basics of German and math as well as other subjects, with only a little tutoring in the craft of war on the weekends. From the seventh grade onwards, they would be joining their classmates in classes according to their mastery of the weapon.

The students of the seventh grade were given the opportunity to choose their weapon in front of their parents in a formal weapon ceremony. It was meant to give the choice more gravity and to give the children a boost of confidence. The eleven-, twelve- or thirteen-year-olds of the seventh grade often already had made up their mind and headed to the ceremony on their first day of school with a confident feeling, knowing what they wanted. Yet, that year, they were going to be overshadowed by the Merlyn and Queen boys.

First, the seventh-graders picked their weapon of choice. They raised it in the air for everyone to see, and the attending parents clapped. Most of the children chose the gun, though every once in a while someone would choose a more exotic weapon, such as swords or nun-chucks. After an hour, every seventh grader had picked their weapon.

Around that time, Mrs. Queen and Mr. Merlyn arrived with their boys. The crowd was not surprised – the boys were seven now, and if Malcolm had been allowed to wield a weapon at that age, the boys would be allowed the same privilege. Only their age – Oliver and Tommy were only seven – shocked them and they disagreed with the ideas that Moira and Malcolm agreed with.

Tommy Merlyn went first. He walked to the table in the middle of the stage, where all the weapons were displayed. He was barely tall enough to look on the table and at the weapons that had been displayed. They provided a little chair for him to stand on and to take a closer look at the more exotic weapons – he had decided he did not want guns or any other weapons that would keep him far away from any enemies.

He studied each close quarter weapon extensively, often pointing at some and asking the head weapons teacher what they were called. He knew their names, but their appearance was something he was not familiar with. After five minutes of contemplation, Tommy made the well-thought-out decision a seven-year-old was capable of and reached across the table. He'd wanted to grab two swords that were meant for the older students. Still, he grabbed one of them and raised it in the air for as long as he was able to. The crowd clapped politely – this child deserved the same applause the seventh-graders received during this arbitrary annual ceremony.

The moment Oliver walked onto the stage, it was clear he and Tommy were different. Tommy was quiet and happy, taking his time to weigh his options and to make such a life-changing decision. Oliver, on the other hand, walked up to the stage with pride and an air of arrogance – he was Oliver Queen, and he demanded attention and not any less respect than Tommy had been given.

Oliver did not stay on the stage for five minutes. While Tommy had been busy, Oliver also had the time to get a good look of the table from afar. He had made his decision long before his best friend lifted one of the double swords.

He marched to the table, straight to his weapon. He grabbed a bow from the table and though it was a bit too heavy for him, he held it above his head. He did not seem to struggle with this – something that stood out after Tommy's display of weakness. He received a bigger applause.

In his arrogance, Oliver wanted to take the bow home with him. All weapons were supposed to stay on the table and in the possession of the Academy, to make sure the children would not hurt themselves at home with those weapons. The teacher eventually managed to take the bow back. Moira had to make some promises, bur Oliver let go once he realized he had to be a little older before he could properly use that kind of bow. When he was strong enough, he did practice with that same bow – the bow, that later became his prime murder weapon.

The two friends slowly worked on their skills until they could join the classes after leaving primary school in the sixth grade. They took different approaches: Oliver wanted to rush the progress while Tommy patiently built up his skills. As a result, he was calmer than Oliver during his training, because 'why couldn't he just hit the bullseye already'?

Eventually, they would not start in the seventh-grade classes, but in the eleventh and tenth grade for these weapons respectively. Their skill level was high enough to place them in these grades. Their teachers would speak about how odd it was a twelve-year-old had the skill they expected of their teenagers. Because they were Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, however, they did not speak any complaints and silently complied to the will of their wealthy parents.

* * *

Three years after Tommy and Oliver had their chance, Thea started in the first grade of the same school. Like her brothers, she was allowed to choose a weapon. Unlike her brothers, she sparked a controversy. People were willing to look away when two young boys chose weapons. When a six-year-old girl was allowed to do the same, it suddenly was 'not appropriate'. She should not have to pick a weapon, she was so young? How was this any good for her? How could anyone allow this to happen?

Those people may have voiced their opinions, but nobody acted upon them. She was Thea Merlyn-Queen. As such, she was allowed to do anything her brothers had done. And, just like them, she wanted a weapon at the start of the first grade.

The parents created a fuss when she was called last to choose her weapon. Yet, it died down quickly when they noticed Mr. Merlyn, Mrs. Queen or anyone from their security detail looked in their general direction.

Thea Merlyn-Queen walked onto the stage, shooting one grin at her brothers before focusing on the task at hand. She took her time to look at all the displayed weapons, but she was determined not to wait too long and to choose with her gut. She already had an idea about what she wanted, and looking at the weapons made her only solidified the idea.

Her eye fell on the bow at the far end of the table. It was Oliver's weapon – the weapon of precision and accuracy, patience and quick thinking. She'd often seen Oliver practice at home or in the Star City park and she admired the skills he had built up, even over the course of three years.

Her decision was made. Thea walked to the end of the table and stared at the bow. She was not strong enough to pick up the bow and hold it up for everyone to see. Instead, the grabbed an arrow lying next to it and raised that in the air instead. It had the same effect on the crowd – they politely clapped. Thea put the arrow back in place and returned to her family, beaming with pride.

"Congratulations, Thea," Tommy said, a wide grin on his face.

"Archery, huh?" Oliver said. He'd folded his arms and he smiled, but Thea nonetheless thought Oliver was disappointed.

"It's not just for you, Ollie," she said. "Anyone can be an archer. I will be an archer."

Oliver pulled his little sister into a hug.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered. "Don't you forget that."

When they stopped hugging each other, Thea grinned at him. "Just you wait, I'm going to be better than you."

"We'll see." Mr. Merlyn stepped in before Oliver could reply. "We can't know right away. When you're both adults, we can see who's the better archer."

"Great!" Oliver beamed – he believed he would win this competition. Thea rolled her eyes.

By the time Oliver and Thea were adults, they no longer cared about who was better. Thea had even put her bow away, only to be used on special occasions. She still practiced, but she had not joined the New Reichsmen and her job was mostly paperwork and running Queen Consolidated. She loved archery, but there were other ways – non-violent ways – you could bring an enemy to his knees as well. Thea much preferred those strategies over what Oliver would enjoy most: breaking in and threatening them, possibly sending them to the hospital or the graveyard.

If you would ask Oliver, he was the better archer. If you asked Thea, she'd say the most important thing was serving the Reich.


	4. Kryptonian

Seventh grade was a milestone, especially for Oliver Queen. He had become so skilled in archery, he was soon going to attend the eleventh-grade archery classes. Even to the older students, his classmates for this one subjects and his theoretical equals, Oliver would brag about hitting every target for the last five years.

Tommy Merlyn and Thea Merlyn-Queen had made progress as well. Tommy took his time, while Thea – like her brother – struggled to keep her cool when it didn't go as easy as it had looked.

But this chapter is not about this training. This chapter describes the most memorable event of Oliver and Tommy's first day of school.

As previously stated, seventh grade is a milestone. The Academy took in students from grades seven through twelve, while its  _Grundschule_  – the primary school – taught students from grades one through six. The New Reich based this system on the way Berlin organized education; this way, they did not have to needlessly invest in three different school properties – they effectively turned three blocks of four years into two blocks of six years. This would also save them some space that could now be occupied by industrial buildings or training areas for the ever-growing military.

In other words, seventh grade was special because Tommy and Oliver moved on to the Academy. This Gymnasium had a great reputation, accepting only the best students or the children of parents with a lot of money, sometimes even meta-humans on a scholarship or in the Metahuman Integration Program. They offered military training to metas and non-metas separately, while the groups would be reunited for the more academic subjects. They wanted these children to interact; the life of a non-meta may depend on the meta that he went to school with, and vice versa. Comradery was encouraged.

The only one objecting to this change in school was Thea. She'd loved going to school with Tommy and Oliver, but she was only in the fourth grade of the Grundschule. She begged to go to the Academy with her brothers. Moira and Malcolm did not give in to her demands and explained she would first have to finish three more years of Grundschule before they'd be attending classes in the Academy.

Tommy and Oliver would miss Thea's presence from time to time, but there were many other interesting people that walked around on the Academy grounds, too. The boys especially paid attention to the metas. They walked up to people and asked them if they were metas and, if so, which powers they had.

Young Oliver sometimes wished he was a meta. While it seemed clear at the moment that he was not a meta, many theorists and historians like myself suspect that he was indeed a meta with an incredibly subtle power: accuracy. He would never miss a target, which was enough to fuel speculation. I must state again this is just a hypothesis and since Mr. Queen is dead at the time of writing this and nobody who knew him is willing to issue a statement, we will never know whether his accuracy was born into him or whether a rigorous training regime made him an incredibly accurate archer.

Tommy and Oliver also paid attention to the youngest on the Academy grounds: their future classmates for most of their classes. The people you trained with were going to be in contact with you for your entire life, be it as soldiers serving together or life-long friends. It did not mean it was easy to spot the seventh graders among the students on the playground - most of them felt right at home and were already making new friends.

The bell rang. The grades eight to twelve went to their first classes. The seventh grade, being new to the Academy, had to gather in the gym for the formal welcome by the headmistress, as well as being briefed about the rules and regulations of this Gymnasium.

Because of its fame, the Academy was relatively small. It did have a large teacher pool while each grade was split up in no more than four small groups of ten or twelve students. Classes within grades were still based upon which student group you belonged to – all subjects are mandatory and electives only extend to military-related subjects.

The entirety of the seventh-grade was big according to usual standards. There were about fifty students, from what Oliver could tell as he walked into the gym. Most of them did not yet stand out – Oliver figured he would get to know them better over the years. Still, he believed first appearances matter and this was not a very big first impression. This way of introducing students to the Academy did not warrant a big impression.

Tommy and Oliver chose a spot at the top of the gym's bleachers. There was more than enough space to fit the fifty students, but every seventh-grader congregated at the top. Tommy ended up sitting on the far side, at the stairs, while Oliver sat between him and a quite beautiful girl. She had nice blonde hair and talked to the girl sitting next to her. They kind of resembled each other; Oliver noticed they both were blonde and drew conclusions.

Eventually, this girl noticed Oliver was staring. She sharply turned her head and watched him cautiously. Her sister gave Oliver the same look. It made him believe they might think he had bad or sexual intentions.

"Is something wrong?" the girl asked. Oliver managed to snap out of it.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said. he smiled charismatically at them. "I shouldn't have stared. I just… I mean, you look good."

He wasn't lying. She was pretty for her age and her image complied with the Reich's beauty standards; another German import. Blonde eyes with blue eyes and pale skin. This always was attractive; it was also Oliver's standard for girls he wanted to date and the woman he would marry one day.

"Thanks," she said. She extended her hand to him. "I'm Laurel."

Oliver shook the hand. "Oliver."

Their gazes lingered while they pulled their hands back relatively quickly. So far, she was the most beautiful girl he had met. She was also the first person to make him introduce himself as just Oliver, and not as 'Oliver Queen'.

That was not necessary; Laurel had heard of him before and knew who she was talking to as soon as he said his name. She may have thought he was handsome, too. Some people suggested her crush on him started that day, though we may never know. We do know they stared at each other with smiles on their faces while Tommy watched, speechless at this girl's accomplishment.

Laurel's sister poked her arm and pointed at the small podium in front of the bleachers. At the same time, Tommy placed a hand on Oliver's arm. Oliver turned his head to Tommy, who pointed at the podium as well. The headmistress was just walking to the stand on the podium.

"It's starting," he said. Oliver decided to pay attention to the headmistress' speech, though he did sometimes glance at the cute girl sitting on his right.

Headmistress Hadon spoke for at least half an hour about the school, about its rules, about what their schedules would look like. Spectacularly, nobody spoke out of turn – the children listened carefully. It may not have seemed like Hadon was building up to some big reveal of great moment, but Oliver did sense something was going to happen. Something spectacular would happen at the end of the speech. He only failed to figure out what exactly – he knew it was not going to be as boring as the half an hour that preceded it.

Then the surprise was announced. Headmistress Hadon called two new students to the podium and asked them to stand next to her. They had come all the way from National City to attend the Academy. This news disappointed Oliver – so what if they came from many miles away? People traveled across the country to study at the Academy all the time; it was not a new phenomenon.

Oliver did recognize them as the girls Mr. Merlyn had visited on a business trip to National City last summer. He hadn't wanted to give Oliver, Tommy or Thea any details. He only mentioned they would meet her soon enough and that they would be amazed.

If they were to believe the headmistress, the blonde one – who was cute as well – was a very special person. In fact, she was so special that she was allowed to showcase what she could do in front of her classmates. Yet, for someone who had been comfortable with power, she seemed nervous that day. She may have felt his way because she did not know any of these people. Consequently, this may be the reason her sister was allowed on the podium as well.

"You can do it, Kara," her sister said. "Show 'em what you've got."

That was apparently all she needed to hear. She hovered into the air with renewed confidence. The seventh-graders in the audience were amazed but Oliver was not yet impressed. Metas were often accepted into the Academy. Metas could fly – there weren't many with this ability, but they existed. Her flying didn't make her too special.

While she was still in the air, Kara turned her head and blew air in the direction of one of the basketball hoops. She seemed to create clouds with her breath. As soon as the clouds hit the hoops and the pole, they froze.

Now that was impressive. The children went wild and clapped. Kara grinned widely and arrogantly, fueled by positive reactions.

"Did you see that?" Tommy exclaimed, an excited grin on his face. It was an infectious grin because Oliver soon grinned as well. So Kara was not a meta. Metas usually only had just one power. She had more than one, probably more than two as well. She was special.

She suddenly became a lot more attractive to Oliver Queen than the girl sitting on his right.


	5. Graduation

What occurred during grades seven through twelve is not less interesting than what happened after or before this period of time. I do believe what happened after their graduation from the Academy is more important to the growth and subsequent fall of the New Reich. This history book would be reduced to some teenage drama series that is only popular because of its shallow one-dimensional protagonists. These people already have meticulously recorded their lives, especially during their Gymnasium years. They have written their own memoirs. Though I would not recommend reading it, for its sole purpose is to glorify the person who wrote it or who had it written about them. However, these are the only public records that exist of what happened during these years, albeit as viewed through a carefully constructed propaganda-lens.

I also was not present during those years, so I cannot detail their development during these years. I can talk about the graduation and naming ceremony, which was caught on tape by proud family members and which I could look into.

The first part was the shorter part of the ceremony. Out of the fifty students, forty-seven students made it to this point. Two students failed one year and the other one was taken from the school for unknown reasons. The remaining forty-seven students received their Gymnasium diplomas and then lined up on the podium for the second part: the naming ceremony.

Then there was Alex Danvers, who was officially a graduate, but who decided to and received permission to stay for one extra year to perfect her close-quarter fighting skills. She would not be called up on the stage and was not part of the naming ceremony, though she officially would graduate today.

Every graduate received a nickname by the board of the Academy, based on their actions in school. It often links back to personalities and weapons, but could also be randomly picked based on how intimidating it sounds. A clear exception was a young man known as the 'Robin' because he was small and nimble. He had done a lot in his short career, and his methods were in sharp contrast to the cheerfulness a real robin may bring.

Both metas and non-metas were brought on the stage for the occasion – every one of them was going to receive a nickname. Some might regard it as an actual title that gives them a reason to be respected, even if the respect may not always be earned. Still, it was not up to the board to officially give them a nickname that would stick for the rest of their lives. These graduates would have to do the heavy work to make these names their own and turn it into a weapon itself.

Given that such a large number were given nicknames, most people inevitably faded away into obscurity as they stood in the shadows of those individuals who would matter most in the end. The same principle applied to this class, where eight individuals would make an actual difference.

The nicknames were announced in alphabetical order. As such, the students were lined up so that even those who had no idea what the names of these graduates were, they could easily follow who was receiving which nickname.

The headmistress walked to the microphone stand positioned to the far right of the stage. From that position, she announced the students' nicknames.

"Barry Allen. Blitzkrieg."

A haughty smile spread across Barry's face while the audience clapped and his friends congratulated him. It had a nice ring to it. Blitzkrieg. Not many received a German nickname like that. It could reflect the Academy's belief that Barry was going to do great. either way, it was a title fit for a speedster.

"Kara Danvers. Overgirl."

Kara's small smile deeply contrasted her folded arms and cold gaze. She nodded in acceptance of the nickname. It was perfect for someone who was expected to exceed expectations during life.

"Laurel Lance. The Siren."

Laurel grinned as if she was insane. She liked it. It did not only match her pretty appearance, but also her personality. A siren in myths lured people in with sweet songs and promises. Yet, once the sailors entered the waters and responded to the call, the siren showed her true hostile intentions. Her lullaby turns into a deafening cry – not unlike the one Laurel could produce – and the sailors stood no chance.

"Sara Lance. The Canary."

It seemed she was already celebrating her nickname. The light-heartedness she showed at school, her quick movements, as well as the fitting blonde hair, made this choice all the more obvious. Though the Canary was not a meta like the Siren, she could prove to be just as deadly, if not more deadly.

"Thomas Merlyn. Prometheus."

Tommy nodded once and silently thanked the committee for not giving him a lame nickname. Prometheus – the Greek giant that brought fire to the cold people of the earth. A true protector of man, just as Tommy would be to the citizens of the New Reich. Though Prometheus defied the gods, Tommy would set out to fight those that think themselves to be gods – those rebels who falsely believed they could establish a new world order.

"Raymond Palmer. The Atom."

This nickname was only a formality, but Ray appreciated the one the committee picked nonetheless. He may have no military qualities or aspirations, but he was a brilliant young scientist and engineer. With the help of Barry and his father, he created a demo version of a shrinking suit. It was only in the developmental stage, but this was enough to warrant this title.

"Oliver Queen. The Dark Arrow."

Oliver, like Tommy, nodded once. It seemed he was happy, though there is no denying there were better-sounding nicknames out there. In comparison to Tommy, his 'Prometheus' was better than 'Dark Arrow'. Oliver did show a liking towards the darker colored arrows while training, but everyone liked it more. I like to think the committee thought it was hard to find a good nickname since teenage Oliver Queen is hard to define.

Despite the nickname, people still clapped and congratulated him with the nickname, some reminding him he could easily rebrand himself some other way. But Oliver did not consider that for even a second. He was going to make it his goal to make it work.

Three years from now, Thea would attend her own graduation and naming ceremony. She would be given the nickname 'Arsenal', based on the number of trick arrows she would have liked to use during practice. Alex Danvers politely refused to be given a nickname of her own. She did not feel it would improve her status or the way she worked. She was aware that she was not going to be as great as her adoptive sister, and those who received an Academy nickname often never used it after the fact. She is the last Academy student who refused to be given such a nickname.

The headmistress congratulated the group once again before the young adults were released into the world – but first, they were going to do what teenagers liked to do. They were going to party.

All graduates and Alex Danvers went to the local dance hall, the Verdant, to celebrate their diplomas. Thea Merlyn-Queen attempted to sneak in – the senior parties were always more interesting – but the security caught her and not even her name could give her access to the party. The seniors stayed from four pm until ten pm. They dined there and though a recently implemented curfew was still in place, the seniors and their parents were allowed one extra hour to return home.

I was not present. I never attended such Academy senior party. I wish I were able to make a comparison, but I am unable to. I can only guess what happened based on what the graduates said about that evening. Still, I will try my best to make a faithful reconstruction of that night.

The party started at four. They played the favorite music of the seniors, either by a live band or recordings through speakers. Some songs would be played multiple times since they were popular. These songs were generally pop songs about love and duty, and some propaganda songs were thrown into the mix as well. The first three hours, these graduates hit the dancefloor.

Dinner was served at seven. Some did not realize until their friends were done eating. There was pizza and fries galore. The graduates did not bring the food on the dancefloor – they remained at the side and watched their friends while eating. Tables were scattered around in the venue, with enough chairs so that everyone could sit down. Yet not even half of the group did not sit at any given moment. if there were leftovers of this dinner, they would be eaten throughout the evening.

Alcohol was served from eight o'clock. The New Reich did not keep the previously established drinking age of 21 but instead followed the German model. The law dictated sixteen-year-olds were allowed to drink soft alcoholic drinks, such as beer and wine. Stronger alcoholic drinks, such as whiskey or vodka, were only available when they turned eighteen years old. Some seniors were not eighteen yet, but this law was respected. No seventeen-year-old touched a glass of alcohol they were not allowed to drink yet, and none of their older friends bought them a glass of beer. It must be their Academy discipline that stopped them from breaking this law.

After the bar was opened, there were two hours left on the dancefloor. The seniors remembered most of what happened in these two hours. For example, Sara Lance had a good time with one of her best friends, Alex Danvers, as they danced together. At the same time, Ray Palmer talked to his adoptive brother Barry about the suit.

But more interesting things occurred during this time-frame. To be precise, two things happened.

The first was a public display of affection between Tommy Merlyn and Laurel Lance. Multiple witnesses state the two had been around one another the entire time. They even kissed each other while drunk. They had never publicly shown any interest in each other before. Some seniors – cautiously – accused Tommy of forcing Laurel to kiss him. A couple of days later the two revealed they became enamored with one another. They never made it public to keep the number of rumors to a minimum. They were relieved to be able to reveal what was going on. Some thought it was funny that Laurel, who had been reported to be madly in love with Oliver Queen until the tenth grade, eventually settled for his best friend. She never spoke about "that silly crush" in public.

The other noteworthy event was Oliver being Oliver. He reportedly complained about his nickname while Kara was celebrating hers. Kara may have changed his mind about his nickname, though we cannot be sure. At this point, Kara and Oliver had been dating for four years. Kara loved Oliver's ruthlessness during training sessions while Oliver admired the same thing about Kara. It was a match made in heaven, and everyone knew it would be hard to separate them.

Oliver may have had the same idea. During the party, he proposed to Kara. She accepted it. They made it clear they were not going to be wed within the next year – both wanted to join the military and build a career and gain life experience before they would tie the knot. Oliver wanted to make the relationship a little more permanent, and he succeeded.

This is everything I know about this night. I can only imagine the seniors had the time of their lives while the lives of the most important players in the fall of the New Reich changed forever.


	6. Ambitions

An important turning point in the lives of Tommy, Oliver, and Thea was the death of Moira Queen. Their mother had quietly passed away after contracting food poisoning, presumably from the restaurant they visited a day or two prior – a restaurant that was no longer in business and whose employees disappeared.

Oliver and Thea were at Moira's bedside when she died. Tommy, who was on a business trip to Central City, did not make it in time to say goodbye to his mother figure. Her last words were between mother and children – they are private and well-guarded, tough some information leaked after years while other pieces of information were revealed in privately recorded conversations I had access to.

Moira first talked to Thea. She asserted that Malcolm was a good man and that Robert had been good before the rebels had corrupted him with their ideals. For fear that the young man Thea had met – one Roy Harper – she told her daughter to be careful around him. Thea nodded and promised her mother that Roy would never be able to hurt her without retaliation.

Then Moira spoke to Oliver. This conversation is reportedly longer since Oliver engaged in the conversation while Thea merely listened to what her mother had to say. Oliver and Moira discussed many things, including legacy and death and what the future would hold.

Moira told Oliver Malcolm could be trusted. She suspected Oliver did not trust Thea's father and she had a good reason to believe he thought Malcolm would one day betray them as Robert had. She told Oliver to keep the family together, no matter what, and then handed him a letter.

This was an official document, one I could look into. The envelope contained the last will and testament of Moira Queen, as written down when she was violently ill. It detailed who would get which portion of her fortune. Thea and Oliver each got an equal share, while Tommy – whom Moira had come to love as her own son – only received what amounted to a fifth of her wealth. Malcolm did not inherit anything, for he was a wealthy man on his own. He later stated he would not have liked to have inherited any money from her, as "her children need it more than I do".

Moira Queen had been the most prominent shareholder of Queen Consolidated, her late husband's company. Malcolm had appointed a CEO to replace Robert but never involved himself too much in the Queen business affairs. The shares Moira once held were given to Oliver, who was expected to take her place on the board of directors.

After the conversation with Oliver, Moira had called Thea back into the room. They spent another hour together before Moira eventually passed away from the 'food poisoning'. That was the official reason, so as not to give too much power to the rebels.

The police picked one of the restaurant's employees and charged them for the 'food poisoning', sending them to a prison camp. This person's record shows that they never showed a dislike towards the Reich – it is very likely this person was randomly chosen so the police would not be regarded as incapable. I suspect that the police also planted evidence in their home as well to further justify this arrest, though this is only speculation on my part. This person became one of the most hated rebels of the century, even though they never had contact with the Freedom Fighters or acted rebelliously. That is why I will not mention their name here. history has given their name such a bad connotation, only anonymity would destroy that false reputation.

* * *

Before the funeral, Tommy returned home and visited Oliver. He did not expect to see Thea – he had learned Thea and Oliver argued before his arrival that hadn't been talked out yet. The evening before the funeral, the two friends opened a bottle of expensive champagne in Oliver's apartment and they filled two glasses.

"To Moira Queen." Tommy raised his glass, Oliver followed suit. Sad smiles came upon their faces.

"To Moira Queen."

They emptied their glasses and Oliver filled them up. This could be a long night for both, as they took a trip down memory lane and remember their mother.

Tommy, curious about what Oliver had to say, could not stay silent about this subject. After the first ad fundum, Tommy took only one small sip of the filled glass and looked at Oliver.

"So… I've heard you sold her shares in Queen Consolidated."

Oliver slowly placed the glass back on the table after taking a sip, not looking at Tommy at first. The smile was wiped off of his face and Tommy regretted asking.

"What if I did?" Oliver said, turning his head to his friend. He stared at Tommy with penetrating eyes. Tommy looked at him in disbelief.

"You've sold your mother's shares." Tommy spoke as if it was just as bad as supporting the rebels. "I knew you were heartless, but this tops everything you've ever done."

Oliver did not flinch at the accusation. He merely stared at his friend for a moment, a neutral look on his face.

"Who is your source?" Oliver asked. Tommy, who had not expected the question, was taken aback.

"Thea told me," he responded. Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, I thought so." He took another sip from his glass of champagne – he did not seem to be in a rush to explain himself. "I sold the shares to Malcolm after making an informed decision. Did Thea tell you that, too?"

Tommy shook his head in response. If his father had told him, he would not have asked. Thea had chosen not to disclose that information with him.

"Because you still take every piece of information for granted," Oliver said in a semi-condescending tone. "You didn't even consider asking her who I'd sold them to."

"I can trust Thea," Tommy said in defense of their sister. Why wouldn't he be able to trust her? They had been raised with the same morals and ideas – the only thing they could be different was in their execution of certain tasks.

"But can you think critically about the given information?" Oliver had shifted his tone to sound less condescending. "It could have been news the rebels are spreading to discredit me and to distract us."

Tommy nodded. Oliver was right; the rebels did want to spread bad rumors and one of Thea's weaknesses was checking her sources. Even if the source was liable, she did not always accurately deliver the information to someone else. Who knows, in her emotional state, she may even distort information without her wanting to.

"But why did you sell them?" Tommy asked. Oliver would never sell them unless there was a superior motive, one Tommy did not immediately see. It was true that Oliver was not fit to run a company and both knew it, but that could not be the official reason.

"I'd like to keep my options open," Oliver responded.

Tommy frowned. "And that means?"

"The Führer isn't young anymore. Someone needs to be ready to take his place when he dies."

There was one word that resonated with Tommy. When. Not if, but when.

But he did not mention it. He took a big sip from his champagne in an attempt to distract himself from Oliver questioning the Führer's health and suggesting he may die soon as well as insulting him by indirectly calling him an old man. You are not supposed to speak ill of the Führer.

Tommy could not complain. He was Oliver Queen and could get away with much more than the average citizen could get away with.

That evening, they did not speak about the Führer anymore. They drank their champagne and toasted to Moira Queen, reminiscing about the times that came before and remembering their mother.

The funeral was held the next day. No incidents happened during or after the event. Despite her involvement in the elite, the people still loved her.


	7. Marriage

Due to personal circumstances, it was only a given that I was not invited to the wedding of the century; Mr. Queen and Ms. Danvers did not know me well. However, I was one of the few people who was not interested in this marriage and rather kept myself to my own business. Still, since this was a magnificent event and since it is regarded as a crucial moment in history, I will be covering it here. it was televised and some witnesses spoke to me about the wedding, so it should not be hard to create a full picture of the events.

It had been three years since Oliver became engaged to Kara. Since then, they had evolved as people and while they initially planned to wait five years, they concluded they could no longer wait. Within three months of announcing the wedding, the event had been fully planned, the invitations sent and – most importantly – Oliver and Kara were ready to be declared husband and wife.

It was a nice summer day which had the perfect temperature – warm, but not too hot, with a nice breeze. Oliver arrived first. Cameras flashed as if this was a red-carpet event. It most definitely was – many celebrities and his friends of the elite came to attend the ceremony. Many of them had already passed them and had already gone inside.

Malcolm Merlyn wore an all-black suit with a red rose in the breast pocket. He told the press the rose represented Moira Queen, who died only two weeks ago and who would have been so proud of her son. He was one of the few guests to come without a plus-one.

Tommy Merlyn followed with Laurel Lance, who wore a stunning red dress. The couple beamed and were extremely happy for Oliver. Laurel was asked about her crush on Oliver, but she did not wish to comment.

Thea Queen-Merlyn brought an unusual and equally controversial plus-one: none other than Roy Harper, the red archer who'd been terrorizing certain neighborhoods and who claimed all the criminals and police officers he'd killed were working against the New Reich. Thea found him on the street when someone tried to rob her. Now he is her new companion, because "he's interesting enough to keep around". Mr. Harper stated he hoped Thea's family (and the world) would see he only means the best. The press focused on how out-of-place he was at this wedding.

Many others came, including almost all of their old classmates; Quentin Lance and his daughter Sara attended as well, the latter also serving as Ray Palmer's plus one. Barry Allen and Rory Regan were not accompanied by any plus ones. They were asked how the other Palmer brother was doing. Nathaniel Heywood reportedly had gone to Germany for his education and remained in Europe, which was the reason why he was not in the New Reich. Barry and Rory claimed Nate was doing fine; facts say otherwise. Other attendees were Kara's family and friends. Kara was the last person to arrive. Since the passing of their father, Alex was going to give Kara away.

Since the Queen family was heavily involved with the Führer, it was rumored that he may show up in public for the first time in years to attend the wedding. Everyone waited for the moment their leader would arrive. In the end, the newlyweds received many gifts and the best wishes from the Führer, who stayed at home but followed the ceremony from the comforts of his living room.

The ceremony was spectacular compared to the weddings that were normally held. The big Star City Catholic Church was the perfect location for Oliver and Kara – not because of its religious value, but because of tradition. The couple honored the Queen family tradition of marrying in the church. If Tommy and Thea ever married, they would choose this location as well. The building was packed with people – those who had been invited filled the seats, while the general public and the press remained outside and followed the ceremony on big screens.

The look on Oliver's face when he saw Kara in her wedding dress for the first time was strangely humanizing. A bright smile came across his face. Kara broke her usual tough girl façade and smiled as well. They may be sadists and terrible people, but you cannot tell anyone they only married each other for status and prestige. They truly loved each other. I cannot imagine them loving anyone else.

Given that Oliver and Kara were not the most patient people in the world, the ceremony only contained the bare minimum. No religious verses were read out loud and neither did they reference Bible stories. In a world that was largely atheistic with a focus on the Führer's personality cult, they had become redundant. The mayor – who officiated the marriage – read aloud the blessings from the Führer to Kara and Oliver, followed by their vows.

The rings were placed on their fingers. The traditional questions were asked and answered positively. The mayor declared them husband and wife, the guests cheered and Kara and Oliver kissed.

When Kara and Oliver exited the church, they were beaming and they waved at the people outside. Oliver first planned to go to the limousine as quickly as possible, so that he could enjoy his wife at the reception. Kara had a different idea – she hovered three feet in the air so the people in the back also had a chance of seeing her. "Keep them entertained." She did not stay in the air for too long, though, and soon she joined her husband in the limousine.

As was usual, the newlywed couple held a wedding reception immediately after the ceremony. There would be press, but only a limited amount. Only one camera crew for the televised news, as well as a couple of reporters and photographers for three newspapers. As soon as their work was done, they were asked to leave. The reception was a private party, and the newlyweds wanted their privacy as well as their guests' to be respected. They wanted their guests to feel they did not have to fear bad press from drinking too much or showing some unflattering dance moves.

One reporter has asked Kara how they should refer to her. She told them she was not taking Oliver's name – her own name should be enough. Kara was very adamant and demanded to be called 'Danvers' when they talked about her alone since she was not and never would be her husband's property. The press did switch from calling her Miss Danvers to Mrs. Danvers, but they referred to the couple as the "Queens". I will do the same.

No major incident happened during the reception itself. Not even a scandal surrounding one of the more prominent guests, which involved Sara Lance, could overshadow this beautiful event. It was a good thing for the Queens that Sara was not present in the main hall when the incriminating event happened, and as such, it was not linked to this wedding.

The highlight of the reception was the speech Oliver gave after dinner was served. It was a promise, a warning, a message to take to heart, among many other things. He spoke and entertained the guests for half an hour and they were never bored. One specific passage did stand out.

"The Führer could not make it. I understand that his health goes before a public event, as it should. I hope he will stay in good health for as long as possible and that nothing tragic will happen in the meantime."

It was an odd statement. Yet, nobody paid much attention to this specific passage. They never isolated this passage, and he was specifically listing the absentees, who could not make it for obvious and not-so obvious reasons, which was following by thanking everyone who was and was not present for everything they had done for him and Kara.

Thus this statement was discarded, the guests forgot about it and celebrated the wedding. All across the city, and possibly the country, their marriage was celebrated as well. It was a big success; people were not lying when they call it the wedding of the century


	8. The new Führer

Two weeks and a half after the wedding, the country was struck with tragedy: the Führer had been murdered while he was in his office. After hours of inactivity, his security detail entered his room and found him with two arrows stuck in his chest and the window open. The arrows' fletching was red. There was no sign of forced entry, not even on the window, so they suspected that whoever had committed this heinous crime had entered without attracting attention – and that the Führer himself allowed the culprit in his office. The security guards said they did not see anything out of the ordinary, though it is suspected they tried not to be tried and killed or sent away for negligence. The investigators could not rely on security cameras either; all relevant footage had been wiped and could not be recovered. The only things they could use were the arrows, lodged in their supreme leader's torso.

The next day, when the news of the Führer's death was released to the public, the police still had not found the culprit. The people demanded to know who it was, unaware the police had no clue. At the same time, Malcolm Merlyn was following the news from the comforts of his home.

Malcolm did not weep. The Führer, in his last years, had been an old and ill man. He would have passed away of natural causes within a year or so, Malcolm believed. The Führer was not an immortal man. It was only inevitable they would have to say goodbye to the leader of their country someday, and that day was today.

While the news was still airing, Oliver came home, carrying a bag with him – Malcolm did not see it and he did not ask about it, either. He just watched the boy he had come to love as his son place the bag on the couch.

"The Führer is dead," Malcolm announced. "He passed away yesterday."

"That's bad," Oliver said, and Malcolm gauged the young man's reaction. Someone else would have stopped and started mourning. Oliver, on the other hand, was a smart man and knew it was coming. Still, he was not surprised. He just rummaged through his bag absent-mindedly, as if the news did not bother him.

Malcolm moved to the cupboard in the living room where he kept his dagger.

"There were arrows found in his chest," Malcolm continued. "I don't suppose you had something to do with it?"

"They had red fletching," Oliver responded. The news had not mentioned red fletching yet; it was an ongoing investigation and did not want the culprit to know they're on to him. "I work with dark fletchings. It could not have been me."

"And that's good enough a reason not to be considered a suspect." Malcolm opened the drawer and took the dagger in his hand. He turned to Oliver again. His son had placed an arrow with red fletching on his bow. He held it in rest, but he could easily shoot the arrow within a second and still hit the intended target. Malcolm's dagger could not change that; if he tried anything or not, the arrow would be faster. Malcolm placed the dagger back in the still opened drawer.

"If you are going to kill me, you might as well tell me why I need to die." There was not a hint of fear in his voice or stature. He did not raise his hands as to surrender, but he clasped his hands together and let them rest on his stomach, staring at Oliver with curiosity.

"The Reich needs a leader," Oliver said. "It needs a strict and relentless ruler. A man who makes ruthless split-second decisions, who can keep our values. They may turn to you."

"And you don't want to have to compete with me," Malcolm correctly guessed. Oliver had always been competitive and ambitious. He always wanted to be the fastest, the first, the best of the very best. His ambitions were all tied to 'reach for the sky and climb the social ladder as quickly as he possibly could'. He already married an extremely powerful Kryptonian not too long ago, which only added to his prestige. Only one more thing could make him more powerful: to become the Führer.

"It's nothing personal," Oliver said. Malcolm disagreed.

"I don't recommend you taking this course of action," Malcolm warned. "There will be consequences."

"Would you become the Führer if the people asked?"

If the people insisted that Malcolm Merlyn should be their new Führer, then Malcolm – as a loyal citizen of the Reich – would serve his country by accepting the leadership position and ruling to the best of his abilities. His silence answered the question perfectly and Oliver breathed.

Malcolm shook his head once. Today's events could have been prevented if the Führer had married and had children. Yet, he decided not to marry and not to adopt any children. He did not even name a successor; his death had seemed so far away, he had not thought of legally naming a successor. And now, Oliver threatened to kill Merlyn.

"Do you want to be sure of the position?" Malcolm said. "Fine. Kill me, then. I thought that by now, you would have realized your actions have far-reaching consequences.

Oliver was taken aback by Malcolm's unwillingness to fight back. It stood against everything Malcolm was as a person; a fighter who kept death at an arm's length away from him. Oliver frowned suspiciously at his surrogate father.

"What are you planning, Malcolm?"

Malcolm took a step closer to Oliver, who raised his bow and aimed at Malcolm's chest. Malcolm was not the least bit intimidated by the threats?

"If you kill me, you destroy your relationship with Tommy and Thea. You kill your dignity. And one day, it will come back to bite you in the ass."

The rewards far outweighed the risks. If the news leaked, Oliver could always make up a story to draw his best friend back to his side. Thea would be much harder to convince. If everything went according to plan, nobody would know. He would not have to give up his dignity.

"Farewell, Malcolm."

Oliver released the arrow. Malcolm did not try to block it and it struck him in the best.

* * *

Malcolm was soon found dead. It was a miracle that Tommy found him before Thea did. Tommy called the police, who continued the investigation to find the murderer responsible for both Malcolm Merlyn and the Führer's deaths. The murders were similar enough for him to be called a serial killer in the media. If Thea had found him first, this would have gone differently. She'd have mourned and would have inspected the arrows, only to call the different media and to reveal Oliver had killed the two.

Why would she be so sure Oliver had murdered them when she was not present at the crime scenes, did not see the footage and was not fully aware of Oliver's intentions? Because the man Oliver tried to frame for the murders had spent those days with her.

Oliver attempted to frame Roy Harper, Thea's new bodyguard and companion. He was colloquially known as 'the red archer' by the general public and the media – he had been on a quest to clean the streets of one neighborhood at a time, often also killing police officers or soldiers who planned to do bad things. His MO consisted of using a crossbow to fight crimes he was a witness to and his nickname came from the red fletching on his arrows and his wide array of red jackets. Roy being close to Thea Merlyn-Queen was also a well-known fact, also known to Oliver, who did not like Roy. He had tried to abuse this information to try to frame Roy.

Thea also knew Oliver liked effective kills; he often aimed for the heart or head and rarely missed. They were clean and painless kills, just as he liked it. On the other hand, Roy had not been taught like Oliver. When he would aim for the heart, it would be possible he hit another body part or maybe even completely missed his target. Two arrows to the heart, so close to one another, was not something Roy was known for – but for Oliver, it was easy to be so precise.

Oliver did not fool Tommy either. Oliver did convince him that Malcolm would have been a bad Führer, led by emotions and feelings instead of logic, and Tommy agreed. He never fully forgave Oliver for this act but was never strong enough to oppose his close friend. Tommy mourned his father and moved on with Oliver.

A week after the murders, Oliver stepped up and proclaimed himself as the new Führer – nobody else had dared to come forward and nobody had asked him to take the job yet. Oliver had grown impatient and took matters into his own hands. The people happily accepted Oliver as their Führer and Kara as his consort. They were convinced Oliver would rule justly – or what counted as 'just' in the New Reich doctrine – and fiercely supported him.

One of the first things Oliver did was to name Roy the prime suspect in the murders of Malcolm Merlyn and their previous Führer. It would discredit Roy, should he speak up, and it would turn the public's opinion on him. Thea did not like the accusation, but people tended to believe their Führer over his little half-sister.

The second thing he did was to visit Thea's apartment to collect Roy Harper and to escort him to the nearest prison camp personally.

* * *

Oliver arrived at Thea's apartment. Thea already awaited him in her living room, sitting on the couch, and she glared daggers at him – if looks could kill, Oliver would drop dead three times over.

"Where is he?" Oliver asked, looking around for any sign of Roy Harper he could find. Thea stood up.

"Oliver!" How dare he burst into her apartment! She would have liked him knocking on the door, but he had not done even that. He did not come completely unannounced, but he was most unwanted at the moment.

Oliver walked up to Thea and looked at her as he would at a criminal. The intimidation did not work on her.

"Where is he?" Oliver repeated, now in a more threatening tone and a lower voice. Thea did not break eye contact and she folded her arms.

"He's not here," she said defiantly. Frustrated, Oliver looked away from her, but he did hear what followed: "I told him to go somewhere else. I feared for his life, and it seemed I was right."

Oliver glared at her. "He has to come with me."

Thea was not having it. if it were up to her, Oliver would never be in the same room with Roy ever again. Of course, he did bad stuff in his past, but he had also done some good things. He was learning killing New Reich officers was not a good idea, even if they were disloyal. That Oliver tried to push Roy forward as the primary suspect was an insult to the progress he was making. She was not going to doom Roy's future.

"He doesn't need to do anything," Thea responded. "He did not kill them."

"You have seen the evidence." Oliver's tone suggested he grew more frustrated with Thea's opposition and defiance. "He has to pay the price for his actions."

That was when Thea lost it.

"You are such a bastard!" she yelled in his face. It must have been a relief to shout this, but Oliver did not like her behavior.

"Excuse me?" Oliver said in an offended tone.

"The Führer did not need to die," Thea said through gritted teeth. "Dad didn't need to die."

Even though she already got this off her chest, she could not throw in his face what she knew: 'you killed them, Oliver'. It would only piss him off even more and since he already proved himself capable of killing his surrogate father, he may not have any qualms about killing his sister, too. The one comfort she could find was that people would believe something was off when she died.

"The Führer was a senile man who struggled to remember which day of the week it was," Oliver said. "He was not able to do his job anymore and something needed to be done about it."

"Why did you have to kill dad?" Thea then asked. It wasn't as bad as straight up telling him – it was a question, one Oliver had to answer. Much to her surprise, he hesitated and a shameful look came to his face. it may look heartfelt and real, but to Thea, it did not feel genuine.

"He… I went to his office," Oliver began his story. "I told him I wanted to be the Führer, but he did not agree with it. He also wanted to be the Führer."

She wanted to believe it. She truly did. But she knew Oliver and Malcolm; her father had not actively wanted the job and probably did not speak the way Oliver described it. Oliver was smart enough to construct a plausible lie. The truth would be forever buried if it meant that Oliver would come out looking better.

"Liar," she said. But he continued as if Thea had not said anything.

"I wanted to explain a younger person was more resilient and could rule longer and that the public may not like having to say goodbye to another Führer in thirty years, but he attacked. I acted in self-defense." Oliver paused. "I didn't want to kill him. But he gave me no choice. I do regret it had to end like this."

No. Oliver had not acted in self-defense, and the events had not happened the way Oliver described it. Oliver didn't regret killing Malcolm, he only regretted Malcolm had to die to achieve his goals. Human life could be thrown away if it threatened his position or if they had served his purpose.

She did not want to be one of the people complying to his needs.

"Get out." That was when Oliver knew he had lost Thea. Yet that did not mean he was going to give up on her or her support.

"Thea—"

"Get out of my house," she said, raising her voice and she pointed at the door. Oliver did not say another word and walked to the door. This was the last time either of them had a proper look at their sibling, and they caught the other looking angrily and disappointed. This was not how Oliver thought it was supposed to go, but it is history now.

Oliver left without Roy Harper. He decided no to further look for the man, to appease Thea. Malcolm had been right about one thing: Oliver no longer had a friendly relationship with Thea and he never would mend this relationship.

Afterward, Oliver and Thea rarely spoke to each other and Tommy had to act as a mediator between the siblings. Thea legally changed her name to Thea Merlyn, dropping the 'Queen' to erase her ties to Oliver. She no longer wanted to be connected to him and wanted her name to reflect it. Oliver did not fight her decisions; many sources said he was glad he did not have to fight with his sister.

The disconnection did not impede Oliver's ability to rule the New Reich.


	9. A woman's heart

Tommy had never doubted the Führer, whether it be an old man or his best friend. For the past two years, Oliver had been a great Führer. He doubled efforts to defeat the rebels. He appointed his wife as the General. Many of their former classmates would be a part of the New Reichsmen, a new division of specialists lead by Overgirl as well.

Tommy was a member of this task force as well and he was proud of it. On the flip side, he barely saw Thea and Oliver anymore. They both stayed at home in Star City while Tommy as Prometheus crossed the country in search for the rebels. He did stay in contact with both.

Tommy's faith never wavered. That is, until the stranger from Earth-1 arrived.

Tommy had only met this man once. He was as fast as Blitzkrieg with the face of the late Harrison Wells, who had died during the particle accelerator explosion a few years ago. He seemed to have a plan, one the Führer was interested in. Because of his close relationship with Oliver, Tommy was able to attend the meetings even though he was a foot soldier compared to the Dark Arrow and Overgirl.

This man called himself Eobard Thawne and he told tales of this other Earth: of the heroes of that world, a heinous world where the First Führer died in 1945 and the enemy won. The other Oliver was the mayor of Star City and an archer, Tommy had passed away already and Kara did not even exist. Yet, they knew of one 'Supergirl' from Earth-38 that often crossed over to Earth-1 whenever they needed her help.

Kara and Oliver asked the most important questions. Though Eobard claimed he often only had minimal contact with the people they asked about, he knew a lot about those people. While Kara and Oliver wanted to know about everything, Tommy remained silent and listened.

Eobard suggested using the thing the Freedom Fighters were working on – a portal that Oliver secured a month ago – to visit Earth-1 once they figured out how to operate it. With Eobard's help, it would only be a matter of time before they came to Earth-1 and do whatever their hearts desired.

Oliver and Kara were on board; Tommy, however, was skeptical. Yes, the good guys lost over there, but that was the only reasonable explanation for wanting to go there – to bring culture to the heathens. But how could they bring culture when their own Earth wasn't even completely subjected to the right ideology? North Korea was untouchable, Australia kept thwarting their plans and the Africans, of all people, were acting out. Tommy thought it was a good idea, but if they were going to fix another world, they first needed to fix their own.

Oliver and Kara did not see his concerns. They planned an invasion within two months, after that world's wedding of the century. This was the wedding of Barry Allen and Iris West. Many of Earth-1's heroes – as well as the Kara from 38 – were in the same place. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Thawne was happy his plans came to fruition. There may have been other reasons for his happiness, but I did not know him and I did not get to meet him, either. When asking the Freedom Fighters about it, they did not have a clear answer. We can only assume he was glad to have found an Earth with a world view that seamlessly fit with his own.

(It has come to my attention that Harrison Wells' face has many variations and many of the different Wells' seem to be familiar to the Earth-1 heroes. I feel the need to confirm that I am not a Harrison Wells of any size, shape or form. I am my own person, trying to find a place in this world that seemed clear and simple before. I did meet one of my doppelgangers at one point in my life, but I am no Wells.)

Through this turn of events, Tommy came to doubt his leader for the first time. He had many thoughts he dared not voice. They were rushing into this decision. While they would be on Earth-1, who would rule here? Were any New Reichsmen coming, and how many? Most importantly, would this not give the Freedom Fighters the biggest chance to fight back and take over their beautiful country?

But he could not keep his thoughts to himself. he needed to tell Oliver.

* * *

Tommy arrived at the penthouse Oliver had been living in since he became Führer. As a close friend of the Führer's, Tommy was free to enter the house as he pleased. The guards, who only were there for show and to make sure Oliver didn't have to worry about petty criminals, let him enter without having to identify himself. Tommy easily walked into the office where Oliver worked on the weekends.

The door was open and Oliver was looking over some documents. Tommy knocked on the doorframe to draw Oliver's attention. It worked; the Führer lifted his head and a smile appeared when he noticed his honorary brother.

"Hi, Tommy," he said. Tommy nodded, a smile coming to his face, too.

"Hi," he said. It was a short greeting, unlike what he used to greet Oliver with. This detail did not go unnoticed.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked. Tommy took a short breath.

"I don't think it would benefit us to go to that other Earth," Tommy said confidently, his eyes on Oliver, hoping he wouldn't be too critical of Tommy's critical thinking. The mood in the room changed, as if the temperature dropped a few grades. Oliver's gaze was not particularly kind or angry, but it was indifferent while he tried to decide what to say next.

"Are you doubting your Führer?" A female voice said from behind Tommy. When he heard that voice, his body tensed up and stress rushed through his body. The General. He turned around and saw her standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame and staring intensely at Tommy while she awaited his answer.

"Never," Tommy said. "I just do not think it would be beneficiary—"

Kare leaped forward, ready to grab Tommy and potentially throw him out of the window. Tommy took a couple of steps backward and braced for Kryptonian's impending attack. Before she could lay a hand on him, however, Oliver stopped her.

"Kara," the Führer said. Kara stopped, her hand only one inch away from him. Tommy's breathing did not return to normal until Kara backed away from him. Tommy turned to Oliver and had wanted to thank him more than giving him a nod, but the words were stuck in his throat.

"Explain," Oliver said. Tommy nodded and proceeded to talk. He sounded determined about his beliefs and seemed to not want to compromise them.

"I'm all for going to this other Earth and bring them our culture. I just don't think this is the right time. Yes, we are powerful, so why aren't we putting the effort in capturing Australia? Why not silence the African and South-American troublemakers?" Tommy paused to give it a dramatic effect. "That Earth? It's not going anywhere. Once our world is free of rebels, we could always focus on the other one."

Oliver still had not decided how to feel about Tommy's objections. In contrast to this, the General was not pleased with his explanation. She had folded her arms while he spoke and had glared at him. Tommy glanced at her from time to time, terrified that she 'accidentally' hit him with her heat vision.

In a surprising turn of events, she turned her head to her husband.

"You didn't tell him?" she asked him. Oliver shook his head once.

"I didn't want to worry him." The Führer stood up from his desk and walked to his wife. This way, they would stand together when they told Tommy this one thing they hadn't told him yet.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy looked at the couple in confusion, though he primarily watched Oliver. They were best friends; he knew almost all of the secrets of the New Reich – the ones he did not know about were kept from him because Kara did not want Tommy to know. So, what was that thing the General wanted him to be aware of?

"We're not only going to that Earth to conquer it," Kara said. The statement on its own puzzled Tommy even more. Luckily, there was a follow-up.

"Kara needs a new heart," Oliver said. the words resonated within Tommy's mind. For a few moments, he could not think about he was physically unable to react to the news.

"W-What?" He still hadn't quite processed it. The General needs a new heart. How long did she still have? What was the cause of this? "How is this—?" But she's Kryptonian. Human hearts would be too weak for someone like her. Even if they did find the perfect heart, they would not be able to transplant it because her skin had become impenetrable under the yellow sun. After years on Earth, it may be hard to extract all that radiation from her.

"Like Icarus, I flew too close to the sun," Kara stated. She did often fly instead of taking the car, especially in the last few years. People would be reminded of her existence; she saw and heard everything from up there and took charge when needed. She also loved flying and attacking her enemies from above; the one thing natural to her nobody else could, too. Metahuman physiology only allowed for one set of powers stemming from one primary change, while Kara could fly and do anything else at the same time.

"The solar radiation is slowly killing her," Oliver elaborated, so Tommy was caught up with the diagnosis. "We tried everything to fix her, but nothing worked."

"Until Thawne suggested to transplant a heart and that it would solve the problem," Kara continued. Tommy nodded once. Right. _Thawne._ The one man he had hoped would stay away from the General and her health.

"Are you sure he's not just saying things that'll get you on board with invading that Earth?" Tommy wondered out loud. For all they knew, Eobard could be lying about everything: about the solution to Kara's problem; about the existence of the other Kara Danvers. Who knows, maybe the man fled his Earth after he failed to conquer it and he was now trying to get rid of the current New Reich authorities so that he could take over once the Führer and his wife were left dead on foreign soil.

"He was being sincere," Oliver said. It did not soothe Tommy's mind. Nobody would be able to change his opinion on the flashy new speedster who raced into their world and miraculously gave them the solution to a problem he should not have had a direct answer to.

"Does that answer satisfy you?" Kara asked. She and her husband watched Tommy expectantly. He took his time to think of the right ways to explain his beliefs to them without giving them the urge to either throw him out of the window or to send him away.

"I don't trust Thawne. I don't like his plan," he began carefully. The couple waited patiently for the second part of his statement. Tommy sighed. "But if it will give my General a chance at a longer life, I will gladly follow you."

Screw Thawne if he had lied. Still, there was a chance that he hadn't – if that was true, they should at least try to make sure Overgirl would get her new heart.

"Thank you for your support," Oliver said. Both him and Kara smiled in approval. Tommy nodded confidently. He just wished everything they had planned out would go according to plan. Either way, Tommy would consider it a success if Thawne did not screw them over.


	10. Opportunities

Nothing of note happened until that faithful day – the day the downfall of the New Reich was officially set in motion. Führer Queen, General Danvers, Tommy Merlyn, and Eobard Thawne – along with every soldier they believed they would need – crossed over to Earth-1 to retrieve Kara's donor heart, fresh from the chest of Kara-38, with an added opportunity to kill Earth-1's heroes.

Thea Merlyn stayed at home with Roy. Before they left, Oliver had asked her if she wanted to come along. She refused and did not want to lend her companion to her brother's quest either; Roy Harper stayed with her. When this was settled, Oliver tasked her with taking over some duties for him while he was away.

She did not become any kind of interim-Führerin. Oliver was still in power and called the shots, he only had been thoughtful enough to allow Thea to take over all his paperwork in his absence. Even though she did not like Oliver, she agreed to do his administration work. She now had access to sensitive and classified information, though it wasn't as much as she would have liked.

Oliver would have told you he and Thea parted on semi-good terms; he would have told you their relationship was mending. Thea would like you to believe the truth was different. In her eyes, nothing had changed. Her motivations were purely political and for personal gain, not to do her half-brother a favor.

While she worked, two devices stood on Thea's desk. These devices tracked the heartbeats of both Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, wherever they would be. Kara would have had a device as well, if her skin weren't impenetrable and if she hadn't refused to have something implanted in her body. The purpose was simple: if either of her brothers' heartbeats stopped, the device would beep and emit some red light.

Thea did not pay attention to it too much. She was confident in them and believed they would not die on that other Earth if it wasn't on their terms. She did not even consider that they could be taken captive by the enemy. The best proof of the devices working even at such a distance was their calmness – they did not go crazy because they could not detect a heartbeat on this Earth, so they still lived. Nothing to worry about.

Not even two days into their campaign, one of the devices beeped and shone the red light. It startled Thea and she looked at the labeled devices. Tommy Merlyn, Prometheus, died a hopefully heroic death in a foreign land.

Naturally, Thea mourned. The next day, she officially announced his death through the usual media channels and threw together a tribute. There were plans to add his grave to the family mausoleum, even if they had no body to bury. His name and moniker would forever be remembered, his legacy was his life as a loyal New Reichsman, an expert fighter who died too young and who fought against the enemy until they overwhelmed him in numbers and brutally murdered him. He died a martyr and would be remembered as such.

This needs to be contrasted with a source from Earth-1, who did speak the truth. Prometheus, the General, and the Führer had interrupted the wedding of Barry Allen and Iris West. The Earth-1 heroes fought and managed to take Prometheus captive. While in custody, Tommy chose to kill himself with the cyanide tooth rather than to stay alive and be tortured by the enemy. According to Earth-X standards, it was still an honorable death, but it was nothing like Thea had described.

At a later time during the conquest, she learned some of the enemies were transferred to the concentration camp that was the closest to Star City. Thea could not communicate with Oliver about the decision because while he had transferred the prisoners, he had chosen to stay in that world. Thea could not complain – she'd rather he had killed the prisoners in their world instead of keeping them alive in a camp, even with the power dampening collars.

Yet, Thea knew her brother. Oliver wanted to show off and consolidate morale and his power. This action resulted in their escape from the concentration camp and them returning home with the help of the rebels. Thea was glad the prisoners decided to go back home; she had not wanted to deal with that with while she was running the New Reich for her brother.

She would later regret not doing more to make sure these prisoners more easily returned to their world, or to kill them when she had the chance. A day or two after the prisoners had returned home, nobody from Earth-X had come back yet, but the device tracking Oliver's heartbeat lit up red.

Unlike with Tommy's death, she did not share this news with the New Reich just yet. Telling the people meant admitting Oliver had failed to conquer Earth-1 and that their Führer had been killed during the first week of the conquest. The people would panic, rebels would rise and chaos would be everywhere. She was the closest thing the New Reich had to an acting Führer and she would not have it fall apart under her rule.

Only when the Freedom Fighters started to suspect the Führer, the General, and anyone who had joined them, were not coming back and when they attacked a government institution without receiving death threats from Oliver did Thea decide to share the news.

She had prepared a speech in which she twisted the facts. Oliver did not officially die during the first week, but only four days ago. At that time, it was a month after they had left. He had died protecting his dear wife, who had been brutally murdered by her 'evil' counterpart. Thea continued to villainize the Earth-38 Supergirl, using words I will not repeat here. She was only telling them now because she had tried to find the most sensitive way to share the news. A couple of years ago, they already had lost a beloved Führer, and Oliver was shaping up to be even more popular. Since Oliver had given her the administration work, she proclaimed that she would continue Oliver's legacy and become the Führerin, because it is what he would have wanted.

During the next week, she dissuaded her possible competitors from not running for Führer – not by threats of violence, but by threats of their secrets being made public. As such, her possible opponents stayed quiet.

One person did not comply and spoke out. He was not intimidated by Thea's implied ruthlessness and as far as Thea was aware, he had no specific secrets to explore. His father had kept secrets, but Ray did not shy away from revealing them all and acknowledged any harm they did. In the same breath, Ray mentioned changing the Reich's structure to make sure every citizen had an equal chance of living up to their potential. He also was the only one not willing to back down because she happened to be Oliver Queen's sister.

Thea Merlyn's opponent for the title of Führer was Raymond Palmer. And according to the public, both were a good candidate for the title.


End file.
